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Convert from Minibus, Crew cab or Panel Van?

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Convert from Minibus, Crew cab or Panel Van?

Postby cormie » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:16 pm

Hi there,
I'm looking to get as big a van as possible, under 3m high but at least 4m load length (back of driver seat to rear doors), that will serve the following purposes:

To use as a back up day van for transporting furniture etc
To use for storage
To use as a 9 seater (Driver + 2 up front and 6 fold down seats in the back) for road trips etc
To use as a camper (seats will also double as a fold out bed)

I'd like to go for either:

Ford Transit Jumbo/ELWB
VW Crafter LWB/High Roof or Maxi/Super High Roof
Mercedes Sprinter LWB/High Roof or Maxi/Super High Roof

I want it to be 3.5t GVW Max and driveable on a B license and looking for 4 wheel max, so no twin rear axle.

As far as I'm aware, if a van is to be used to carry passengers in the back, it needs to have windows and seats with belts. Since the likelihood of finding exactly what I want for sale second hand is I imagine zero, I have the following options:

1) Buy a minibus, and take out all seats and fit custom seats - Problem is that most minibuses will be over 3.5GVW and will probably have a higher selling price
2) Buy a crew cab and take out bulk head behind passenger seats and re-line walls and floor to be uniform throughout.
3) Buy a regular panel van and add windows (not sure how big they need to be?), remove bulk head if present behind driver seat.


Which option will have the higher overall cost depends on what kind of van I can buy initially, but I'd like to know the cost estimate to add custom seats and to add windows if necessary and any other necessities I may not be thinking of.

Due to popularity of these vans in the UK compared to Ireland, I will most likely have to buy in the UK and import so will need to take import costs into consideration and also have any customisation done to an approved and accepted standard.

Please see the attached image for more details. Any feedback and cost estimates would be brilliant.
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Re: Convert from Minibus, Crew cab or Panel Van?

Postby dumper » Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:23 am

In the mk8 Minibus ford do a single wheel l4 it was listed at a dealer in Boston Lincolnshire when I was looking for my van it was a 410 model I think it was a 13 seater and had a large area behind the seats for luggage.
I also was talking to a driver of a care home Minibus asking if he had any problems with the mk8 his bus was not a factory conversion so there must be converters out there who can do one for you if you surply the van .
I also think that a lot of the NHS amberlances overhear are converted in Northern Ireland so maybe they can help depending on what you are thinking of spending
Just another thought can you not get a 460 and down rate it to 3500 kgs
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Past camper vans
1974 mk1 v4 with 2.0 pinto fitted
1986 mk3 2.5 di swb
1990 190 lwb 2.5 di
1998 100 lwb 2.5 di
2006 350 jumbo 135 tdci
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Re: Convert from Minibus, Crew cab or Panel Van?

Postby hughesyn » Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:27 am

Buying a 3.5t jumbo panel van and doing the rest of what you want will be the cheapest option.
The other options will see you throwing away a load of stuff you've paid for.
Minibuses have a speed limiter.

In the UK there's no requirement to have windows with passenger seats. Lots of small vans are sold with a second row of seating but no windows to avoid company car tax.

Adding windows is fairly easy anyway.

The only issue is making sure the seats you add will satisfy your insurance company and any construction and use regulations in Ireland (I don't know what they are). There are threads here about that, at least from a UK perspective.
You need to be sure that the seat and mounting points are sufficiently strong in a crash.
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Re: Convert from Minibus, Crew cab or Panel Van?

Postby cormie » Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:22 am

Thanks a lot for the replies. I think it would be too much hassle to get a minibus and have to downgrade it, also any minibus over 3.5t, will I think in most cases also be twin axle at the back, which I'd like to avoid. Tyres are expensive when you buy good ones and don't see any advantage in having 6 instead of 4 for the use it'll get.

I think buying a Jumbo/Crafter or Sprinter Maxi will be my best bet alright and convert it straight to a camper. I actually sold a Jumbo only last year for way less than I wanted for it before I had this idea :(

I'm thinking seats something similar to these here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqxHj12MHk4

And if they could be made so they fold out like I have in the diagram, it would be great!

I posted the same thread on an Irish forum and they said the insurance will most likely require a walkway from the front seats to the back area, so I'd need to have driver +1 instead of the standard driver +2 that would be in the panel vans it seems? :(

Very interesting about there not needing to be windows in a crew cab/minibus/camper, I was sure they were a requirement! I wonder what the case is in Ireland!
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